Jesus, Sweet Jesus, Hear My Prayer
by Miranda Crystal-Bearer
Summary: Rated for blood and violence. Tai and Kari stare death in the face.... S2 fic.


Jesus, Sweet Jesus, Hear My Prayer  
  
A/N: Hey. This is a moderately dark fic, that takes place in Season 02. Three people lose their lives, but other than that, it's okay. WARNING! If you like Tai and/or Kari, you might want to back off! Thoughts are in ** **  
  
Disclaimer thingy: I don't see the reason for this dumb thing, because if I'm writing FAN-fiction, then I obviously don't own Digimon.  
  
***********************************************  
  
.....With the faith and love God's given  
  
Springing from the hope we know  
  
We will pray the joy you'll live in  
  
Is the strength that now you show  
  
But we'll keep you close as always  
  
It won't even seem you've gone  
  
Cause our hearts, in big and small ways  
  
Will keep the love that keeps us strong  
  
And friends are friends forever  
  
If the Lord's the Lord of them  
  
And a friend will not say never  
  
For the welcome will not end  
  
Though it's hard to let you go  
  
In the Father's hands we know  
  
That a lifetime's not too long to live as friends.....  
  
***********************************************  
  
"Friends" by Michael W Smith  
  
***********************************************  
  
Taichi "Tai" Kamiya sighed as he stared out the car window. Living in America wasn't all that great. He was away from his best friends. He glanced over at his sister, Hikari "Kari" Kamiya. Poor thing, she was sound asleep. Tai wondered if she missed T.K and Davis as much as he missed Sora and Matt, and Izzy, and all the others. Tai looked back out the window at the trees, feilds and other cars that were passing them on the interstate, and the rain and occasional lightning. What a night, Tai thought. As he stared, the pounding of the rain and droning of the radio and his parents talking merged together into one sound. Tai leaned his head against the window and was about to fall asleep. But that's when it happened.  
  
Tai was jerked out of his pre-sleep daze by a screeching of brakes ahead. His father, who was driving, quickly slammed on his brakes, too. The car skidded on the slick pavement. His mother screamed. Kari, wild-eyed, screamed as well. The car slammed into something, coming to a crushing halt. Tai gasped for breath as the whip-lash jerked him forward, then slammed him back into the seat. Something else hit their car, rolling it over. The windsheild shattered, sending shards of glass every-where.  
  
Kari's own screams, mingled with her brother's, rang in her ears as the glass hit them, tearing their skin. There was another jerk as something hit their car again, then total blackness engulfed Kari.  
  
~*~  
  
**Darkness and light, pain, the crushing pain. What happened? Where am I? Tai! What happened to Tai?** Kari pulled herself out of the sticky clutches of unconsciousness. Opening her eyes, she saw nothing at first. Gradually, her eyes adjusted to the dim light. Quickly, she did a mental check for injuries. At first she thought she had imagined the pain, but all she had learned in health class came back to her. **Oh, yeah. If you're hurt in a major trauma, then you go into shock and no pain is felt. Where is Tai? I must make sure he is okay!** As this thought raced through her mind, a soft light filled the car, allowing her to see better. Turning her head, she saw Tai, sagging against his seatbelt, still unconscious. At least, that's what Kari hoped.  
  
Studying her brother closely, Kari saw a deep, jagged cut running along his cheek, most likely from the glass shards that had flown every-where. Blood was seeping from it, running down his face. His right arm was twisted at an impossible angle. Those were all the injuries Kari could see, but there was likely to be more. Kari reached her hand over to her brother. As she did, she figured out where the soft light was coming from. Her Crest power! When she had concentrated on her brother, the power of her Crest collected, creating an arua of Light around her. Kari put her hand on her brother's, hoping that he was okay, her lips moving in a silent prayer.  
  
**Jesus, help us, hear my prayer. Lord, you can see us, so please, I pray, help us. Send Your Angels to gaurd us until the rescue people come. Please, Lord, just let Tai be alright, I couldn't live with out him. I know You will hear me, my Strength and my Redeemer. In Jesus's precious Name I pray, Amen.**  
  
Kari's injuries slowly took over, blanking her mind of all but one Name. **Jesus, sweet Jesus, hear my prayer!** she thought as she slipped into unconsciousness.  
  
About two minutes after Kari blacked out, Tai slowly opened his eyes, the salty taste of blood on his lips, blood warm and sticky on his cheek. Tai tried to take a deep breath, but stopped midway as his ribs exploded into pain. Now that he thought about it, every-where hurt. Tai carefully sat up, ignoring the protests from his ribs. To his dismay, when he tried to move his left leg, he found it was pinned down by the twisted metal of the car. Shifting around, he found that Kari's hand was on his right hand, but he could barely feel it. The sensation scared him. Tai stared into the darkness, finally seeing what had gone wrong. His arm was twisted, broken, the bone shattered. A sliver of bone had probably severed a nerve, creating the wierd numb feeling.  
  
Trapped, with no place to move, all Tai could do was think, hope, and above all, pray. His mind wandered, never very far. It was brought back every other breath by the knife-like pain in his ribs. Tai tried to avoid this by taking shallow breaths. It lessened the pain, but didn't make it go away. Tai closed his eyes, his lips slowly moving in a silent prayer.  
  
**Lord, hear me. You can see me, You know the pain I'm feeling. Please take the time to hear my prayer.** Tai cringed as hot bolts of pain raced up and down his trapped leg. **Jesus, please, lessen my torment. Send help quickly.** The pain in his leg made Tai draw a sharp breath, which, in turn, elected another knife-like stab from his ribs. **Lord, please let Kari, my Mom and my Dad be okay. I place my faith in You, Oh Lord of my heart. In Your Son's precious Name I pray, Amen.**  
  
As Tai whispered "Amen.", a bright flashlight beam shone in his face. Tai blinked several times. A voice called out: "Hey! I think some-one's in here!" Tai nearly fainted with relief. Praise to the Lord God of Heaven rose in his throat. How-ever, Tai drew in a quick breath in his excitement. A cry of pain left his lips.  
  
"Get over here quick, Sam!" a female voice cried.  
  
"Whatchya got, Jenny?"  
  
"A survivor! Come here!"  
  
"Coming!"  
  
The voices began to blend together as the pain in Tai's ribs reached it's peak. His head fell forward onto his chest as he lost consciousness.  
  
Jennifer "Jenny" Sheperd was known for keeping her head in a crisis. That's what coaxed her into rescue work. But seeing this teen pass out before her eyes was almost too much. "SAM! Get your sorry self over here!" Jenny shouted.  
  
"Coming!" Sam shouted back, coming as fast as he could through all the rubble. What a car crash, he thought. Reaching where Jenny stood, he peered at the car, badly crushed. "Jenny, no-one could survive that," Sam told the slim brunette.  
  
"Miracles happen, you know," Jenny said. "There is some-one alive in there! A teenager, but I think he's seriously injured." Before Sam could stop her, Jenny slithered into a crack, barely wide enough for even her slip of a self. Carefully, she stuck her hand through the shattered glass of the window next to the boy. She found if she stretched, she could get her fingers far enough in there to check the boy's pulse. It was faint, but there was one. Using her searchlight, she discovered that there were three people in there, and one body. Jenny poked her head out of the crack. "Hey, Sam! Get the others over here! We have three survivors and one bound for the morouge."  
  
"I don't see how, but I gotchya!" As he trotted off, Jenny stuck her hand back in the window, resting it against the teen's shoulder.  
  
"Don't worry, buddy," she murmured. "Help is on the way. I promise."  
  
Working hard, knowing that every second had to count, the rescue team finally managed to release Tai, Kari and Mrs. Kamiya out of what was left of their car. Jenny, her job shift done, hitched a ride to hospital in the abulence with the brown haired teen. A glint of metal caught her eye. Pulling up his sleeve, she discovered a mediacal bracelet. It told her he was allergic to penicillin. Jenny warned the nurse in charge.  
  
"Gotchya, Jenny." Suddenly, the teen seemed to come half way to. At any rate, he started to murmur something. Jenny cocked her head and listened. She couldn't make much sense of it, but two words repeated over and over stood out.  
  
"Oooh, itai, itai, kami-sama...." Those words sounded familar to her. It came to her. In collage, to be different, she had taken Japanese instead of Spanish or French. If she remembered correctly, "Itai" was the equivelent of "ouch", and "Kami-sama" was the equivelent of the phrase "Oh, my Lord!" Was he praying or cursing? It sounded like praying to Jenny, especially when he whispered in English,"Jesus...." Jenny fingered the golden cross necklace that hung around her neck. She would be sure to add this teen to her prayer list.  
  
~*~  
  
Two days passed before Tai regained consciousness. The stark whiteness of the room hurt his eyes. A soft voice whispered: "You're awake. Praise to the Almighty!"  
  
"Kari?" Tai croaked. His voice sure didn't sound like his own. His sister's soft chuckle was the answer. "I'm thirsty."  
  
Kari chuckled again. "It figures. Here." Kari gave Tai an ice chip to suck on.  
  
"Arigatou, oneechan," Tai whispered as sleep closed in on him.  
  
Tai gasped for breath, the pain making him cry out. Opening his eyes, he found Kari leaning over him, her soft hazel eyes full of concern.  
  
"Tai, are you okay?" she asked.  
  
Tai couldn't answer right away. He was too breathless. His heart pounded against his aching ribs, the pain nearly driving Tai to the edge. He found that he was trembling all over.  
  
"Tai?" Kari repeated her earlier question in Japanese, the children's native tongue.  
  
"Hai, I think so," Tai panted. Kari wasn't so sure. Her brother's eyes were glazed with pain as he struggled to keep from taking a deep breath. Tremors wracked his body every other second. Deep within his eyes, Kari saw Tai was fighting the pain, fighting for his life, it seemed.  
  
Kari was right. Tai was fighting with all the strength he could muster against the terrible pain that threatened to knock him back into the darkness. Ever so slowly, Tai was losing. He was not strong enough alone to win.  
  
"Jesus! Be with me!" Tai gasped. Kari wanted to help her brother, seeing how much he needed it.  
  
"Lord Jesus Christ," Kari prayed aloud. "Be with my brother, help him overcome this obstical of pain. Place Your hand on Tai that he may know Your healing touch. I know You will help him, I place my trust in You, as I pray in Your Son's Name, Amen." Still praying to herself, Kari watched her brother, her eyes filled with concern.  
  
The darkness pulled, its coils inescapable to one so exhasted from struggling against pain. Tai, slowly, unwillingly, began to succumb to the darkness. The pain making him oblivious to every-thing else, Tai called out Jesus's name again and again.  
  
But, with each repetion of the Savior's holy Name, the pain relented a little. Finally, Tai was left with nothing but a sense of exhastion. Kari was praising the God of Hosts for all she was worth! Weary and spent, Tai slowly slipped into a dreamless sleep, silently thanking his Savior.  
  
~*~  
  
"Izzy! Izzy! Koushiro Izumi, are you listening?" Izzy was rudely yanked out of his two-second nap by the teacher.  
  
"Huh, um, gommen nasai, sensai. Iie, I was not listening. Could you please repeat that?" Izzy could feel color rising to his face at the snickers from the class. The teacher sighed and again started to explain the algebraic problem.  
  
Izzy stayed close to the wall to avoid being trampled by the crush of kids as the last bell rang.  
  
"Oof!" Some-one smacked into him, making him drop his books all over the floor.  
  
"Whoops, gommen nasai, I didn't mean to!" a familar voice stammered. Izzy looked up into a pair of cerulian blue eyes.  
  
"Matt!" Izzy cried. The blonde teen blinked.  
  
"Oh, konniechewa, Izzy. I didn't relize it was you." Matt half-smiled.  
  
"I noticed. Um, let's see...." Izzy counted his books that he had gathered up. "I'm one short."  
  
"Here." Matt handed him the missing math book. They started walking. "Did you hear? Tai's mom is moving back to Japan! I got an email from Tai yesterday."  
  
"And I got one today." Izzy and Matt leaped a foot in the air.  
  
"Sheesh, Sora! I hate it when you do that!" Izzy exclaimed. The strawberry blonde grinned.  
  
"I know. I just like to see you jump." Her face sobered. "Tai told me why they're moving back to Japan. It isn't just for no reason."  
  
"Why?" Izzy asked.  
  
"Well, to make a veeery long story short, there was a car crash."  
  
"Good night! Were any of them injured?" Matt exclaimed.  
  
"Well, Kari and Mrs. Kamiya escaped with only bruises, but..."  
  
"Was Tai-?" Izzy couldn't bring himself to say his darkest fears.  
  
"Thank the good Lord, no, but Mr. Kamiya was."  
  
"I feel sorry for Mrs. Kamiya. What happened to Tai, though?" Izzy's curiosity was about to kill him.  
  
"Broken bones, stiches and a mild concussion," Sora said, without a smile.  
  
"Sounds like something Tai would do," Matt commented.  
  
"Matt!"  
  
"Well, it does!" Matt said defenisvely.  
  
Izzy broke up the argument. "Hey, Sora, when are they arriving?"  
  
"Uuummmm, day after to-morrow."  
  
"Let's get home, call the others, and all get together when they come home, what say you?"  
  
Sora nodded her head. "Letz do eet!" Matt said, a funky grin on his face. Sora and Izzy sweatdropped. They parted ways.  
  
~*~  
  
What a reunion it was! They all got together, Matt, Sora, Izzy, Mimi, Joe, T.K, Davis, Yolei, Cody and even Ken! Tai and Kari were stunned that all their friends would turn out for them. Kari was puzzled, though. Even though he was happy to see her, T.K wouldn't smile. Kari pulled him away from the others as soon as she got the chance.  
  
"Okay, T.K, what's going on?" she asked him.  
  
"Nuthin'. Nothing at all," T.K told her.  
  
"Only if nothing is you're talking funny and you aren't smiling." Kari stepped a little closer to T.K. "Now, for my sake in the least, please tell me what's going on?" T.K shook his head.  
  
"Sorry, not even my brother knows about it."  
  
"You tell me or I'll tickle you!" T.K shook his head. Kari smiled sweetly. "Just kidding. Now, T.K, since we're alone...." Kari trailed off and stepped closer to T.K, a honey-sweet look in her eye. Oh, how well T.K knew that look! T.K wrapped one arm around Kari's waist, pulling her even closer. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face. Kari smiled gently, pushing closer. T.K looked her in the eye. Slowly, he leaned down a little, and their lips met in a kiss. How they had missed each other, their time alone. Their first kiss since a little over two months of seperation. The taste of it was wonderful. They savored the moment, wanting it to last forever, but they had to come up for air.  
  
As they pulled back, T.K forgot himself and smiled at Kari. Kari smiled as well. Now she knew T.K's secret. "You know," she whispered. "I think you look good in braces, T.K."  
  
"Nani? Um, oops."  
  
"What color did you get?"  
  
"Yellow."  
  
"Naturally. The color of your Crest." Kari snuggled closer to T.K as he hugged her. The others had sent Davis to find them, and that's how he found them, wrapped up in an embrace. Davis's jaw dropped. T.K was flirting with his girl! Kari glanced over T.K's shoulder and saw Davis. She gasped. T.K turned and saw Davis, looking about as mad as a cat taking a bath, marching toward them. Kari pulled out of T.K's grasp, backing up a couple of paces. T.K turned so he could face Davis and maybe reason with him. A little too late for that.  
  
The next thing T.K saw was the ceiling and a few stars. Kari was screaming at Davis. T.K reached a hand up to his lower lip. When he pulled it away, there was blood on his fingers. T.K slowly sat up, dazed from hitting his head on the floor. Kari was by his side in an instant.  
  
"T.K, are you alright?"  
  
"Iie, my lip...itai!" The others came running up. Seeing T.K on the floor, and Davis with a red handprint on his cheek, Tai asked the obvious question.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Davith punthed me in the mouf," T.K said, his reply muffled by the fact his hand was over his lower lip. At this, Matt looked like he was getting mad.  
  
"Davis, why did you punch T.K in the mouth?" Tai asked.  
  
"He did it because he found me and T.K--um, never mind," Kari said. When she first began, she was angry, but when she said "never mind", Kari was back to her normal timid self. And she was blushing bright pink.  
  
"He was flirting with my girl!" Davis said. Matt snorted.  
  
"Your girl, my foot," T.K said. "What's Mom gonna say when I tell her that I got a hole ripped in my lip 'cause Davis punched me 'cause he's jealous?" Kari handed him her hankerchief.  
  
"Here, use this." T.K shook his head.  
  
"Iie, it would get caught on my braces. I just gotta wait for it to stop bleeding."  
  
"You got braces?" Davis and Matt asked in one voice.  
  
"Uh-huh, yesterday afternoon. I would show you, but it wouldn't be a pretty sight since Davis punched me."  
  
"Sorry, I didn't know...."  
  
"But that still gave you no reason to punch him!" Matt exclaimed. "Just because he and Kari are good friends doesn't mean you can hit my brother!"  
  
"Um, Davis, if you don't start running now, you'll see Jesus looong before you want to." Tai said nervously. Davis took the advice and sprinted off, Matt right after him. How-ever, Matt has longer legs and was older than Davis. Matt tackled Davis in a grassy stretch, and they started a fist- fight. Well, Matt did. Davis wasn't into it.  
  
Tai got Izzy and Joe to pull them apart. Matt was better off than Davis. He only had a scraped knee. Davis had a lump on his head, a to-be black eye, a hurt wrist, and tomorrow would tell what bruises and other sore places he was going to have.  
  
~Two months pass, Tai's mother gets married again.~  
  
Matt ran as fast he could. He was going to be late for class! Again! He dashed into the room and got into his seat as the tardy bell rang.  
  
"Glad you could join us, Mr. Ishida," the teacher stated drily, raising an eyebrow at Matt. He turned to the board just as Tai sauntered in. Tai made it seem that it was no big deal to be late for science. Tai meandered on over to his desk and sat down. The teacher glared at him sternly. "Mr. Kamiya, I will deal with you after class." Matt winced. Oh man, Tai was in deep trouble.  
  
"Detention. One week," the teacher stated. "You will stay an hour after class." Tai looked panicked at that.  
  
"But, sensai!" He started.  
  
"No buts. I'm going easy on you. Now, you may leave."  
  
"Hai. Arigatou." Tai walked out, hanging his head dejectedly. Matt fell into step with him as they walked down the hall.  
  
"You get it bad?" Matt asked.  
  
"Not really. But at home I am."  
  
"Mm." Not another word was spoken as the two boys walked side by side. They paused out-side school. A car drove up.  
  
"Matt! Wanna ride?" It was Matt's dad. Matt nodded his head vigirously.  
  
"Tai, you need a ride?" Matt asked.  
  
"Well, not really, but it would be nice," Tai answered after a minute's debate. The silence in the car was disquieting. Matt's nerves went to edge, as he sensed there was something Tai was nervous about. Matt tried to calm down so he could acutally find out what was wrong.  
  
"Matt, school go well?" Mr. Ishida asked. Both boys jerked at the sound of his voice.  
  
"Yes sir. We had a surprise quiz in math, though," Matt replied.  
  
"Did you get a good grade?"  
  
"Think so. Hey, what day is it?"  
  
"Friday," Tai told him. "Why?"  
  
"No, I knew it was Friday! I mean-"  
  
"The 27th," Mr. Ishida said, interrupting Matt.  
  
"Yikes! That means I have a concert to-night! I forgot all about it!" Matt exclaimed. "Hey, Tai, you wanna come? I can get tickets for you and Kari."  
  
"I'll ask my okaasan!" Tai said excitedly. "If she says it's okay, then we'll come, allright!"  
  
"We're here!" Mr. Ishida said. "Tai, here's your stop."  
  
"Hey, Dad? Can I go with Tai to see what his mom says?" Matt asked.  
  
"I don't see why not."  
  
"Yes! Arigatou, Dad!" Matt said as he and Tai scrambled out of the car. Mr. Ishida shook his head. **Kids these days,** he thought as he watched Tai and Matt disappear into the apartment building. They waited impaitently for the elevator. When they were in, Matt hummed a catchy tune while it went up to the right floor. Tai and Matt raced each other down the hall to Tai's apartment. Breathing hard, but laughing, they came to the door.  
  
"Hey Mom! It's Tai!" Tai said when he knocked. A tired looking Mrs. Kamiya opened the door.  
  
"Tai, you're home. Good. Oh, konniechewa, Matt."  
  
"Hello, Mrs. Kamiya," Matt said respectively.  
  
"Mom, Matt wants to know if I could come to his concert to-night, Kari, too!" Tai was very hyper.  
  
"Oh, honey, I don't know...." Mrs. Kamiya said. Matt couldn't read the expression on her face.  
  
"Pleeeeeease, Mom?" Tai gave her the puppy-dog look.  
  
"Oh, alright."  
  
"Yeah!!!" Tai pumped his fist in the air. "Mission acomplished! See you tonight, Matt!"  
  
"See ya!" Matt said, a half-smile on his face. When he turned to walk down the hall, though, the half-smile turned into a full smile. **To-night's gonna be soooo cool!!** Matt thought in delight.  
  
~*~  
  
**Come on, come on!** Matt thought in impatience. **Answer the phone already!!** This was the second time he had called the Kamiya's apartment. It was Saturday, the day after the concert, and Matt hadn't seen Tai or Kari anywhere.  
  
"Hello?" Mrs. Kamiya's voice asked timidly.  
  
"Hi, Mrs. Kamiya. This is Matt. Can I please speak to Tai?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Matt, but Tai is busy at the moment. I'll see if he can call you later." And with that, Mrs. Kamiya hung up. Matt blinked as the dial tone buzzed in his ear. He slowly set the phone down and started to walk to his room.  
  
Coco, Matt's over-grown Chocolate Labrador puppy, bounced up to follow Matt into the teen's room. Matt flopped on the bed. Coco jumped up beside his owner and curled up beside him. Matt absent-mindedly stroked the puppy's head.  
  
"That was so wierd, Coco." Coco thumped his tail on the bed at Matt's voice. "Mrs. Kamiya sounded afriad. And she said Tai could come to my concert. He wasn't there." Matt had already told Coco this, but he needed to talk about it some more. Coco licked Matt's hand.  
  
"It's just-just like some alien took over their household. For instance, T.K told me Kari's been acting really wierd. And T.K should know, after all the time he's spent with her."  
  
Coco whined in his throat.  
  
"What's she been doing? She skips classes, half the time she's not in school, she turns in homework unfinished, and T.K saw her hanging out with the wrong crowd several times."  
  
Coco let out a muffled bark, as if surprised.  
  
"I know. And Tai's been acting strange as well. He never used to work so diligently in class, and now he avoids detention like a cat avoids water. And Sora says that Tai has not been keeping appointments he's made with her, and has been breaking promises left and right. That's just not like him."  
  
Coco growled, then whined.  
  
"You're right. I think I'll talk to Izzy. I'm not sure if our parents will believe us." Coco thumped his tail on the bed, then got up and trotted out of the room. He came back with the cordless phone in his mouth. Coco jumped up on the bed and placed the phone in Matt's hand.  
  
"Thanks, Coco. Yuck. Do you have to slober on it like that?" Matt wiped the phone and his hand off on the bedsheets, then dialed Izzy's number. Coco settled down again, laying his head on Matt's chest. Matt stroked the dog's head while waiting for someone to pick up the phone.  
  
~*~  
  
"Izzy! Izzy! Wake up, honey." Mrs. Izumi shook her son gently. He had fallen asleep over his homework.  
  
Izzy sleepily opened one eye. "Hey, mom," he mumbled. Izzy yawned, then stretched as he sat up. The phone ringing made both of them jump. Mr. Izumi got it.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hi. Is this the Izumi residence?"  
  
"Yes. What can I do for you?"  
  
"Can I talk to Izzy? This is Matt, by the way."  
  
"Sure. Hold on a minute, Matt." Mr. Izumi stuck his head into Izzy's room. "Izzy, it's for you. Your friend Matt wants to talk to you."  
  
"Okay, thanks, Dad." Izzy stretched as he stood. He walked out into the hallway and took the phone from his father. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey, Izzy!" There was a muffled bark in the backgroud. "Ouch! Coco! Um, Coco says hi."  
  
Izzy chuckled mentally. "So I heard. How'd your concert go?"  
  
"We did well. Izzy, have you seen Tai this afternoon?"  
  
"No. Why?"  
  
"He was supposed to come to my concert, but I never saw him."  
  
"You could've missed him in the crowd, you know," Izzy reasoned.  
  
"I'm sure I didn't! And I called his place a few minutes ago, and Mrs. Kamiya said he was busy. Then she hung up. She sounded really nervous."  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"I think something's wrong."  
  
"Matt, let's not jump to conclusions."  
  
"That's what you always say. You and Joe. Just ask Sora! Or T.K! They'll tell you that something's wrong! Have you seen how both have been acting over the last, how many has it been? Two months? Think about it, Izzy."  
  
"I'm thinking. I think that's the most you've ever said to me, Matt." Izzy heard Matt snort.  
  
"This is serious, Koushiro!"  
  
"Hey! Only Mom or Dad can call me that! And, you're right. Something is wrong."  
  
"I'm glad you agree. Let's call a meeting, without those two."  
  
"And without Davis, Yolei or Cody. I don't want to drag them into this,"  
  
"Especially since June Motamiya will tag along after Davis." Matt made Davis's sister's name sound like something dirty.  
  
"Aw, come on! Don't you like her?" Izzy teased. A moment later, he held the phone three feet away from his ear to keep from becoming deaf.  
  
"ARE YOU CRAZY!!!! IF YOU THINK I LIKE HER, THEN GO JUMP OFF A CLIFF!!"  
  
"Matt, I was just teasing! Calm down, for heaven's sake!"  
  
"I was calm."  
  
"Don't be sacrcastic, Matt."  
  
"I'm not. You should have seen the way I blew up at Davis when he asked me that. I knocked him into next Wensday."  
  
"I'll bet you did. I feel sorry for him."  
  
"Don't. So, how are we gonna get all of us together without Tai or Kari knowing?"  
  
They chatted for a good half-hour. When Izzy finally dropped the phone back in its cradle, it was five o' clock.  
  
"Izzy, supper, dear!" Mrs. Izumi called.  
  
"Coming, mom!" Izzy trotted into the kitchen.  
  
~*~  
  
The next morning, Matt was up and about the kitchen, singing as he made breakfast. Sunday mornings were the best, as far as he was concerned. After he fixed breakfast, he and his dad would go to church. Together. Then, the rest of the day, they would hang out, fooling around and just talking. Around six, Mr. Ishida would drop Matt off at the Youth Group, and he and his friends at church would go to someone's place and have a great time.  
  
Yes, Sundays were about the only days when his life was just about perfect. But today, one thought kept him on the ground. Tai. Matt was very worried about his friend. Matt nibbled on his lower lip as he thought. He was so absorbed in his thoughts, that he nearly walked right into his dad.  
  
"Whoa, Matt, what's up?"  
  
"Oh, nothing much." Mr. Ishida wrinkled his brow at the listless tone in his son's voice. Today was Sunday, and on Sunday Matt was usually somewhere around the ceiling, not on the ground.  
  
"Okay, Matt. Tell me what is going on." Matt looked at his father.  
  
"You sure you won't--um, can I tell you after church? I need some time to think about it." Matt's cerulian blue eyes held a look of uncertainy.  
  
"Sure. Whenever you think the time is right, you tell me what's bothering you. Okay?"  
  
"Okay!" Matt nodded his head and winked at his father.  
  
~*~  
  
"....And so me and Izzy think something's wrong." Matt finished telling the story to his dad. He stopped pacing and looked at his dad, seated in an armchair. Coco walked up and licked Matt's hand while Matt waited for an answer or suggestion.  
  
"Hmm. Now, it could be you're blowing this out of proportion....." Matt groaned and rolled his eyes. "....or it could be you're right. I'll call Megan a little later, after lunch. Whaddya say, tiger?" Matt grinned widely when his dad promised to call Mrs. Kamiya.  
  
"Yeah! Thanks Dad!" Matt hopped about on one foot. Coco looked at Matt like he was sure the teen had tossed his cookies. Matt laughed at Coco's expression. Mr. Ishida laughed as well, a hearty laugh that made you want to laugh with him. **This is going great!** Matt thought with joy in his heart.  
  
~*~  
  
The next Saturday, Matt was turning cartwheels in the soft grass at the park, waiting for the others to get there for the meeting. Coco barked at Matt each time the teen turned a cartwheel. Matt thought this funny and did a few more. He stopped, feeling a little dizzy, and patted Coco on the head.  
  
"Hey Matt!" A familar voice shouted. Before Matt could do little more than turn around, T.K was hugging him.  
  
"Hi, T.K. " Matt snatched his brother's hat. T.K squawked and swatted at Matt. Matt chuckled and held the hat up a little higher. T.K jumped, and nearly got it.  
  
"That won't work, bro!" T.K said. Matt grinned.  
  
"But I know what will! Heads up, Coco!" Matt tossed the hat at Coco. The puppy easily caught it in mid-air.  
  
"MAAAAATT!" T.K yelled as he scrambled after the dog, who was racing around like he'd lost his mind, T.K's hat in his mouth. Matt laughed. Coco slammed into the back of Matt's legs, knocking him down. T.K briefly laughed as he saw his brother land, unharmed, on his rear. But running and laughing take a lot of breath, and you can only do one or the other. T.K chose running. Coco whizzed past the newly-arrived Sora, making her fall as well.  
  
"MAAAAATT!" she screamed as she fell. T.K tripped over her legs, and landed on his face in the soft grass. Coco let out an excited bark, muffled by the fact he still had T.K's hat in his mouth. The dog trotted over to Matt, who was still on the ground, laughing his head off. Coco dropped the hat in Matt's lap, making the blonde laugh even harder.  
  
"We too late for the circus?" Izzy asked, Mimi at his side. Both were struggling to keep their laughter under control, but they weren't succeeding too well.  
  
"Yeah, but it seems you're in time for World War III: Revenge On Matt!" T.K proclaimed as he struggled to his feet. Sora nodded in agreement as T.K helped her up. They advanced, and fell on Matt, tickling him for all they were worth.  
  
"Uncle! Uncle! I give! You win!" Matt gasped between bursts of laughter.  
  
"Okay." Sora backed off. T.K didn't. Matt started to wrestle with him, and in a few minutes, the brothers were roughhousing. Coco danced around them, alternately barking and whining.  
  
"My, my. They're having fun," a voice that Izzy couldn't quite place said. A movement in a nearby tree caught his eye. Suddenly, a familar face, framed by blue-black hair, showed, upside-down. Ken. "Hope you don't mind me sorta spying, but Matt showed up, and I didn't want to just jump down with that dog around." Ken pointed to Coco.  
  
"He won't eat you," Mimi said. "Come on down."  
  
"Okay." For an instant, Ken disappeared. Then he flipped out of the tree, a backpack in his hand. Ken glanced nervously at Coco, then edged his way over to where Izzy, Mimi and Sora were standing, watching the two blonde brothers.  
  
"Boy, I sometimes wish I had a sibling," Sora said.  
  
Matt, overhearing this, pinned T.K down quite easily and said: "Trust me, you don't want 'em! They're nothing but trouble! Be glad you're an only child!" With that, the wrestling match was renewed, and went on more gleefully than ever.  
  
"What's your opinion, Izzy?" Mimi asked. "Is being an only child better?"  
  
"I dunno. Ken, you got an opinion?"  
  
Izzy watched in surprise as remembered pain flashed across Ken's face. "Uh, um, sorry guys. I-ah- gotta go." Ken turned and walked away, head bowed, shoulders bent with an unseen burden.  
  
"What was that about?" Matt asked as he fended off T.K with one hand.  
  
"I have no clue what-so-ever," Izzy replied, too astonished at Ken's reaction to give one of his long, scientific phrases.  
  
"No clue about what? And I don't think you're Izzy. You didn't give a twenty-syllable answer," Joe stated as he walked up.  
  
"I agree with Joe," T.K said as he sat down on the grass.  
  
"Yeah yeah," Izzy muttered. "I've quite heard it all by this point." He sat down as well. Soon the six Digi-Destined were in a deep disscussion about their friends.  
  
~Few weeks pass~  
  
Matt came home from school slightly alarmed. Tai had come to school with a black eye. When asked what happened, he said he had gotten hit in the face by a soccer ball. Perfectly normal answer, at least for Tai, but something about the way he had said it made Matt feel like Tai was lying, and there was another cause. But Matt had no substantal proof of what he suspected.  
  
Coco met Matt joyfully, leaping up and down. Matt smiled sadly and petted the puppy. He walked to the couch and flopped down on it. Absent-mindedly, he ran a finger over the criss-crossing scars on his wrists, reminders of an earlier day in which Matt had not been so at peace with God and the world. The scars weren't very noticable now, but they had been when the Digi-Destined had first gotten sucked into the Digital World. That was the reason for the gloves.  
  
Matt's thoughts wandered quite a bit. He was jerked back to the present when he accidently dug his nails into a scar. The tingling sensation stung slightly, but it was more the numb feeling that made him realize what he had done, and especially when he saw the half-circle indentations turning red against the whiteness of the scars.  
  
"That was stupid," Matt muttered as he stood up. He wandered into the kitchen to feed Coco and to find something for himself to eat.  
  
~Few weeks pass again~  
  
"I don't like cold weather," Matt complained.  
  
"We heard you," Tai said.  
  
"Several times over," Sora added.  
  
"Every time you said it, which would be..." Joe trailed off.  
  
"Twenty times." Izzy sighed. "In the least."  
  
"But still, I don't like cold weather!" Matt kicked a rock out of his path. The four older Digi-Destined were walking home from school in a group, talking and reliving old times, and old jokes. An old joke sounds good after a few years' rest. The others were talking, and Matt's thoughts wandered. He thought of many things that had happened, and all that was happening, and what might happen.  
  
As he thought, a burst of cold wind and a growling rumble of thunder came. All the Digi-Destined looked at each other, then rushed to the nearest shelter as the bottom fell out of the cloud. They were drenched when they ducked under a deserted pavilion. Sora sneezed violently.  
  
"Here, Sora." Tai shrugged off his jacket and put it around her shoulders.  
  
"T-thankss," Sora managed through chattering teeth.  
  
Matt noticed something under Tai's sleeve. "Hey, Tai, what's that? You know, under your sleeve."  
  
"Oh, that." Tai pulled up his sleeve and showed Matt the dogtag braclet. "It's a medical bracelet. I'm allergic to penicillin."  
  
"I didn't know that," Matt said as he studied Tai's wrist. A scratch ran across it. "And how'd you get that cut?"  
  
"Kari's cat did that," Tai replied as he started to roll down his sleeve.  
  
"Wait. Hold your wrist out like this." Matt held out his, then moved it next to Tai's. One scar ran the exact length of Tai's cut. Matt suspected it was the same depth, as well.  
  
"Gosh, Matt, what happened to your wrist?" Tai asked, seeing the wicked scars for the first time. Matt held out both wrists and showed them all the scars that crisscrossed his wrists.  
  
"I tried to give up on life," Matt said with a mirthless laugh. "Several times over."  
  
"Why Matt?" Sora asked.  
  
"I'd rather not tell. But...." Matt thought for a second. "I could show you." Matt leaned over and whispered something in Joe's ear. The older boy nodded. Matt moved over. Joe held up his hand, as if to strike the blonde.  
  
Matt couldn't help himself. He flinched away from Joe's upraised hand, despite the knowledge that Joe would never hit him. Matt could practically feel the sting of the blow, although it never fell. In his mind, he unwillingly relived the pain, the fear, frustration, anger, resentment of those five terrible years. The others watched with surprise and slight intrest as Matt ducked away with a shudder, rembered pain and fear flashing across his face, in his eyes.  
  
"Why did you do that?" Izzy asked.  
  
"You don't get it? I'll not tell." Matt grimaced. "The subject is painful, still, after six years."  
  
"I think I get it," Tai said slowly. All but Matt were surprised. Matt had suspected that Tai would understand.  
  
"What?" Sora asked. For once in his life, Tai ignored his girlfriend.  
  
"And so you tried to quit. Who did it?"  
  
"Dad. But he's off the junk now, and we get along fine."  
  
"Mmm." Tai had a thoughtful look on his face.  
  
Joe spoke up. "I think I'm getting it."  
  
"What?" Sora asked agin.  
  
"Do you mind, Matt?" Joe looked at the blonde.  
  
"Sorta. But tell her and Izzy anyway." Matt had a cold, distant look in his cerulian blue eyes.  
  
"Matt, you scare me when you look like that," Izzy commented.  
  
"I'm supposing that the reason Matt flinched was because he had been a victim of physical abuse," Joe informed them.  
  
"Right," Matt comfirmed Joe's guess in one word. His voice was cold, as was his manner and stare. He was always like that around others when this topic came up, for some reason only he knew. Or did he? But God knew why, Matt was sure. Matt glanced at each of his friends in turn. When he glanced at Izzy, he started to chuckle, then burst out laughing.  
  
Izzy was peering out from behind Sora, his dark ebony eyes full of curiosity, yet also full of fear. "I told you that you scare me when you look like that," the redhead told Matt, who was still chuckling. "I'm serious!" Izzy proclaimed, stepping out from behind Sora, who was nearly overcome with giggles.  
  
"I know, but you looked so funny!" Matt managed.  
  
"Yeah, whatever," Izzy rolled his eyes. "Hey, the rain is slackening!"  
  
"Cool."  
  
~Notice I loooooove to skip time? Two more weeks~  
  
Matt growled, then flung his pencil down. It bounced off his desk and hit him in the face. Matt growled again and stood up so violently the chair toppled over backwards. Matt ignored it and stalked to the kitchen, muttering under his breath all the way. He jerked the fridge door open. A book fell off the top. Matt leaped backwards, barely avoiding it. He glared at the book and left it where it lay. Matt's scowl became deeper. He yanked a coke out, and slammed the fridge door.  
  
"Matt! Cut it out! I know you're in a bad mood, but enough's enough!" Mr. Ishida snapped. The command cracked like a whip. Matt flinched at the cutting tone in his dad's voice. But it did nothing to improve his mood. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then walked to his room, not stomping, nor stalking, but as normally as he could manage. He shut the door softly, the click of the latch barely heard above the pounding in his ears. Matt unclenched his jaw and sighed heavily. He hadn't talked back to his father. That was something.  
  
Matt opened the coke. It spewed everywhere. "Oh, shoot!" Matt said only that much, but some of the words he had heard at school came to mind. He made a face, mentally called himself names for thinking such, and went to get a dishrag to clean up the mess.  
  
Back at his desk, hunched over algebra, Matt found that he could not concentrate. The headache he had woken up with had increased over the day. Now it was nearly unbearable. Matt sat up straight. He just could not focus on math problems right now. He glanced at his bed and saw the cordless phone was laying amid the rumpled sheets, strewn pillows and other odds and ends. He slowly stood, as his head throbbed harder when he changed altitudes. Flopping down on the bed gave some relief. Matt rested there for a few seconds, then pulled a hard-cover book out from under his back. He reached over, picked up the phone, then mechanically began to dial Tai's number.  
  
It rang twice, then someone picked up. "Hello, Ka-um, Destari residance, Tai speaking."  
  
"Hey Tai. Got a minute?" Matt asked.  
  
"Um, not really. Is it urgent?" Tai answered quickly.  
  
"No. I couldn't work, so I decided to see what you were doing."  
  
"Matt, I gotta go," Tai said suddenly. "I--Aaah!" The phone was dropped. It clattered to the floor. Matt's head throbbed with a greater intensity than ever. Over the pain that stopped him from thinking or seeing clearly, he heard yelling. A cry of terror and pain broke through Matt's own agony. He gasped, hung up, then leaped to his feet. Almost blindly he snatched up his boots, shoved his feet into them, and raced for the door.  
  
Matt ran pell-mell down the sidewalk as his Digi-vice beeped, shrilling the alarm. One of the Digi-Destined was in trouble. Matt was vaugely aware that he was now flanked by Sora and T.K, as well as the other older Digi- Destined. They all would come to answer the plea for help.  
  
As Matt reached the entrance to the parking area in front of Tai's apartment, a car came squealing out. The lights nearly blinded Matt before they passed. He paused, saw that nothing was coming or going, and raced towards the apartment complex. Not bothering to take the elevator, he darted up the stairs, taking two at a time. The Digi-vice, his headache, the growing terror in his heart, all pointed to one thing. And Matt was deathly afraid of what awaited them.  
  
He skidded on the concrete and forced himself to walk up to the door. He knocked quaveringly. His heart thudded against his ribs, a terrified bird throwing itself against the bars of its cage. His breath came in quick gasps, not only from the run, but also from fear. Butterflies swirled in his stomach, threatening to choke him. When there was no answer, Matt's heart sank. He tried the knob. It was unlocked. Matt slowly opened it. Kari's wild-eyed face looked into his. At first she seemed terrified, but seeing it was Matt, she scrambled back to what she was doing.  
  
Matt stepped in, unheeded by Kari. Matt realized with a shock that Kari's face was bleeding. She darted into her and Tai's room. Matt distractedly followed. Kari glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, please, Matt, don't! Go home, please!" she pleaded.  
  
"Why?" Matt asked.  
  
"Because! Oh, don't!" She was now practically sobbing.  
  
"Kari, I came because the Digi-vice, and....." Matt trailed off. Kari nodded and let him follow her. The others, dumbstruck, watched the drama unfold before their eyes. T.K shook off his invisible chains with effort and followed. The rest could not bring themselves to do so. They were staring at the devistation of the living room. The sliding glass door that led to the balcony was cracked and shattered. A lamp was in a thousand pieces, and the card table was broken in two. One of the legs was laying loose. What was most terrifying was that there was blood on the floor, among the glass shards, and some was on the table leg. Shock kept them frozen where they stood.  
  
And shock was hitting Matt and T.K. Kari wavered, and T.K caught her as they both sank to the floor. T.K kept her in a sitting posistion by hugging her. Matt stared, then came to kneel by the edge of the bunk bed. Tai's chesnut eyes found Matt's, dulled and nearly blind with pain, clouded by tears of pain. Matt gasped softly.  
  
Tai was collasped on his side, as if he had just barely made it to the bed. Blood had soaked into the sheets around him, the crimson stain still spreading. Tai was breathing in short, quick gasps, his chest barely moving. One wrist, his right one, the one that had been in the brace during their first adventure, was twisted and dangling brokenly, painfully, obviously broken. There were cuts and to-be bruises all over Tai's face and arms, most of the lacerations bleeding, some scabbed over and reopened. Blood soaked into his navy T-shirt and jeans, his favorite socks, probably from the glass on the floor.  
  
Matt was scared now. This wasn't just a little blood, this was like life- threatening. And the way Tai's eyes held that alien look; fear. Fear, pain, hopelessness. It hung hauntingly in his golden chesnut eyes, eyes that were once so full of life, of courage, of authority. Now it was gone. Only pain, despair, fear, desperation. Matt feared that soon they would soon hold the glassy coldness of death.  
  
"Matt...." Tai hissed. "You....why are....you here?"  
  
"Tai, I had to," Matt whispered.  
  
"Goodbye, then," Tai gasped. He coughed, hard, and cried out. Blood flecked his lower lip.  
  
"No! Tai, hang on, please!"  
  
"I-....I can't...."  
  
"You can! Please, hang on!"  
  
"Matt.....Iie.....Sayronara......" Tai coughed again, with a sharp cry of pain. More blood. Matt knew what true desperation was. Watching your next- to-best-friend die before your eyes is it. Along with pain, and heartache. Tai took a quick, gasping breath, his eyes suddenly wild with pain, then blank as he let the breath out, slowly. Blood trickled out the corner of his mouth. Matt bit his lip hard, not realizing his teeth tore the skin, going through and bleeding, and reached out. His hand placed itself on Tai's chest. Tai's ribs were badly broken, caving in jaggedly. His skin held the clammy chill of death.  
  
Kari had come to at this very second, and she screamed, wildly struggling against T.K's restraining hands. T.K's crystal eyes held tears as he gently held Kari to him, despite her attempts to break free. She finially collasped limply, sobbing. T.K cried into her hair. Matt barely held back his own sobs, breath coming in uneven, ragged gasps, tears streaming down his face. He turned and gathered the younger children to him, and cried shamelessly.  
  
In the end, Kari and Mrs. Kamiya lived sadly happily ever after, because the stepdad ran the car off a bridge, cause he stunk at driving. And though everbody was sad, they picked their lives up again in the end and lived again.  
  
  
  
The end to a very sad story 


End file.
